New York State’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) is being expanded to include some 75,000 students who are pursuing their college degrees part-time.
The move will allow those who are often balancing other responsibilities, such as family and work, to begin or continue their post-secondary education.
Full-time TAP awards can be up to $5,665 annually for a full-time student; part-time TAP will be available on a pro-rated basis to eligible students taking six to 11 credits per semester with no full-time prerequisite.
“Higher education students not only hold the key for our state, but for their families. A degree changes more than just the life of its holder, it changes the lives of those all around them,” Governor Kathy Hochul said Friday as she announced the program. “Every person who calls New York home should have the opportunity to better themselves and invest in their education.”
Students enrolling in the Fall 2022 semester may apply for part-time TAP by filling out the federal FAFSA application. Once submitted, New York State residents attending NYS campuses can link directly to the TAP application.
For students who have already enrolled and submitted their FAFSA for the 2022-2023 academic year, TAP awards will automatically be adjusted based on the number of enrolled credits.
Eligibility for part-time TAP is consistent with full-time TAP awards, which includes residency and income requirements. TAP awards do not need to be repaid by any recipient.
New York State TAP is one of the nation’s largest need-based college financial aid grant programs. Overall, more than 6 million New Yorkers were awarded nearly $30 billion in tuition assistance awards through TAP. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 250,000 New Yorkers were awarded more than $700 million in tuition assistance awards.
More than 190,000 New York residents currently attend CUNY or SUNY tuition-free due to state and federal financial aid.
About two million New Yorkers between the ages of 25 to 44 have no degree, and 2.5 million between the ages of 45 to 64 are without one.
In addition, $106 million has been allocated to hire new faculty at SUNY and CUNY, and $100 million earmarked to increase enrollment. The program includes re-establishing TAP for incarcerated individuals, banning the practice of transcript withholding, and making significant investments into capital facilities.
New York also adopted the Senator José Peralta DREAM Act in 2019, which provides undocumented New Yorkers and other students access to TAP and other New York State administered grants and scholarships that support their higher education costs.
